


Warmth With You

by Kabieee



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Canon Universe, F/M, Fluff, Getting Together, Post-War, Reminiscing, threat of drowning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2020-11-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:13:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27425524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kabieee/pseuds/Kabieee
Summary: Ashe quietly padded through the library, selecting titles from the shelves from a list he held in his hand. The Professor had sent him on a small errand to grab them, but Ashe had jumped excitedly at the opportunity to fulfill his request. The library had always been one of his happy places at Garreg Mach. As a knight for his former teacher at his old school he got to visit it often, but little trips during the day were always a treat. He loved seeing the beautiful light that shone down from the stained glass windows above, the way dust particles could be seen lazily drifting about as people worked below them. The old smell of books never failed to make his heart pound happily in his chest, nor the flipping of their pages in the quiet of the space.What Ashe most looked forward to, nowadays, was seeing the person who sat in the corner on the left, usually buried in a mountain of picture books and art supplies.
Relationships: Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert/Bernadetta von Varley
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	Warmth With You

**Author's Note:**

> THIS IS A VERY VERY LATE GIFT FOR ISA!!!! This is my 800 follower giveaway fic that she won ;___; I'm so so sorry it took so long bb! You are so patient and I hope you enjoy this <3

Ashe quietly padded through the library, selecting titles from the shelves from a list he held in his hand. The Professor had sent him on a small errand to grab them, but Ashe had jumped excitedly at the opportunity to fulfill his request. The library had always been one of his happy places at Garreg Mach. As a knight for his former teacher at his old school he got to visit it often, but little trips during the day were always a treat. He loved seeing the beautiful light that shone down from the stained glass windows above, the way dust particles could be seen lazily drifting about as people worked below them. The old smell of books never failed to make his heart pound happily in his chest, nor the flipping of their pages in the quiet of the space.

What Ashe most looked forward to, nowadays, was seeing the person who sat in the corner on the left, usually buried in a mountain of picture books and art supplies.

Bernadetta was here today, as she always was, working on her current project with Seteth. Ashe had managed to get a little bit of information from her about it: it was a story of the cats that inhabited Garreg Mach. The subject held a warmth in Ashe’s heart; the same cat he and Caspar had taken care of back during the war had stuck around him so much that Ashe had named him and let him sleep in his quarters every night. He loved the animals around his home, and was excited to learn about their origins through Bernadetta and Seteth’s story.

But what Ashe loved more was the artist herself. His affections for her had developed over their years living at the monastery after the war. Nights spent laughing in the dining hall after the students had gone to bed, afternoon breaks in the old training ground shooting arrows into dummies. She often prepared treats for the archbishop, but always had a bundle set aside for her former classmate. Ashe was always delighted to see bows and arrows decorating the cakes and cookies she made him. They were warm and soft, perpetually prepared with the love and care only Bernadetta could provide.

Ashe double checked his list. He had just about everything he needed, knowing that the last book was near the front of the library. His gaze drifted back over to Bernadetta, whose tongue was sticking out slightly as she held a brush in one hand and a book in the other. He took a few quick breaths and walked quickly over to her table.

“H-Hello, Bernadetta,” he smiled, standing on the side of the table so she’d be able to see him coming. One too many times had he surprised her and caused her to knock over goblets of water for her paints.

“Oh, Ashe, hi!” Bernadetta looked up and at smiled at him, clearly a little frazzled by his sudden appearance. But her hand stayed firm on her utensils, making him chuckle. “Are you running an errand for the Professor?”

“Yes, he needed some books for his research,” Ashe replied, regarding the pile in his arms. “I see you’re making more progress on your new fable! I cannot wait to read it.”

“AHH—It’s definitely not ready yet!” Bernadetta dropped the brush and slammed her reference book closed, whining in pain when the other half of the heavy tome landed on her hand. “S-Sorry… I know you’re not snooping,” she murmured, glancing back up at Ashe with flushed cheeks.

“Oh, no, I apologize! I shouldn’t be bothering you while you’re working,” he replied hurriedly, straightening the books in his hands. “I should get going, actually—”

“Are you going to be eating soon? I need to take a break anyway,” Bernadetta laughed, looking around at her haphazard setup around her with a shake of her head.

“I certainly could go for some food in the dining hall, sure!” Ashe replied enthusiastically, eyeing the books in his arms and Bernadetta’s setup on the table. “Do you… need to pick all of this up before you leave?”

“Oh, no! I usually just—” Bernie stood up and unfolded a large sheet she’d been sitting on. She carefully draped it over the table and pinned a small piece of paper on top. On it in purple ink was a small doodle of a cartoon version of herself with the words ‘do not disturb’ written in her cute handwriting. Ashe felt his cheeks tint at the sight of it, smitten with how pleased with herself she looked when she admired her handiwork. “Thankfully, the librarian doesn’t mind!”

“I’m glad!” Ashe replied with a grin, hiding his pink cheeks behind the stack of books in his arms as they headed towards the exit. “It must take a while to pack everything up.”

“I usually have to make a couple trips to my quarters,” Bernie mumbled with a small pout, tightening her grip on the small crossbody bag she wore. “I guess the exercise is good, though!”

“I could help you tonight, if you’d like,” Ashe offered, stomach tightening when he realized the bold words that had come out of his mouth. He wanted to cover his face in embarrassment, but the heavy stack of books prevented him from doing more than gently bonking his head on them with a soft huff.

“Oh, you don’t have to,” Bernie chuckled nervously, her hand going up to rub her neck. “But if you want, I’d love the company! Also, here—” she gently touched Ashe’s shoulder and took half of the stack of books from his arms, smiling warmly when she held them. “That looked super heavy… Wouldn’t want you accidentally tripping and them falling on you!”

“T-thank you,” Ashe stammered, unable to suppress his blush now that he’d been relieved. He was grateful for the help though, walking more easily through the hallway. “The Archbishop is in his office, we can drop them off before lunch!”

Bernie and Ashe were quiet as they walked down the hall, passing Manuela and Hanneman’s offices with smiles of reminiscence.

“It’s so crazy that we’re calling him ‘Archbishop’ now…” Bernie murmured with a soft smile. “Sometimes I still slip up! But it’s worse when he tells me to just call him ‘Byleth’…”

“Same for me,” Ashe laughed, “even after all these years though, what with his title changing and his presence so much greater over Fodlan, he really is still the same man who taught us all those years ago. I’m very thankful we have him… he has done so much for me over the years. All of us, really!”

“I agree,” Bernadetta grinned, shifting her arms under her stack of books. “He protected me more times than I can count. If he hadn’t invited me to join his class, there’s no telling what would have happened to me.”

Ashe looked over at Bernadetta Von Varley, the girl he had loved since the war had ended. A timid but unendingly sweet and caring person, who had had to overcome more than most when fighting alongside their Professor against her homeland. She had proven to them all tenfold that she was capable, sometimes more capable than her most confident allies at Garreg Mach. Her strength was something Ashe admired and strove to emulate. It might have taken many years, but Bernadetta had succeeded.

“Things may not have turned out like they have,” Ashe said quietly, stopping outside the wide double doors to the Archbishop’s audience chamber. “But you would have excelled no matter where your path took you, Bernadetta. You’re one of the strongest people I know!”

“H-Ha… you’re j-just saying that,” Bernie giggled anxiously, shutting her eyes tightly as her cheeks flushed. “I would have been a _goner_ if it weren’t for you—y-you… and everyone else in the Blue Lions, of course.”

“That doesn’t make your accomplishments any less significant!” Ashe insisted, his brows furrowing as he looked at her. “Everyone needs help sometimes… if it weren’t for all of our old classmates and the Professor, I wouldn’t be here today either. But even with their help, we wouldn’t be standing here together on our own two feet if it weren’t for ourselves!”

“You know… the Professor said that exact same thing to me once,” Bernie smiled softly. “You’re right, Ashe. I’m… really glad you’re still here!”

“I am, too, Bernadetta. A-and it’s the same for me. It makes me so happy that I still get to see you every day.” Ashe pushed against the heavy door with his foot, smiling around his stack of books at her. She returned the grin sheepishly and hurried inside, waiting until he fell in step beside her to head to the Archbishop’s advisement room. “I truly do not know what I’d do without our time together during the week. Off all of my former classmates who decided to stay here at Garreg Mach, I am most glad you’re someone I see more often.”

“A-Ashe, stop it!” Bernie laughed anxiously, gently nudging his arm with her own and hiding her crimson face. “You’re going to make me send these flying…”

The pair set the large piles of books down on Byleth’s desk. Ashe couldn’t believe how bold he’d been with his own words, the last few years spent in relative calm collection when it came to how he felt about his old classmate. He never wanted to startle her with his feelings, was always content just being her friend and having meals together a few times a week. Ashe wasn’t even positive he was wanting things to change now, but as he looked at Bernadetta in the gentle, natural light of the advisement chamber, the faint dust particles swirling around as she carefully made sure the books were placed just so on the Archbishop’s desk, his heart pounded a little more quickly in his chest.

Bernadetta looked up from the pile and smiled at him. Not an anxious smile, or one that indicated she was nervous. It was an honest-to-goddess smile, more relaxed than Ashe had ever seen her. It made his head fuzzy with emotion, made butterflies erupt in his stomach. Her hair fell delicately over her shoulders, one side of her bangs pulled to the side with an adorable teddy bear clip. Ashe wanted to move it so he could run his fingers through the soft violet locks, but doing anything in that moment that might take away Bernadetta’s smile and calm was utterly out of the question.

As they walked to the dining hall, his companion went on and on about the animals around the monastery. Ashe was delighted to hear about not only the cats, but also the pegasi and wyverns that flew in the skies above. According to the passionate Bernadetta, the cats had been brought in to take care of mice that plagued the kitchen and food storage during the early days of construction. They’d been too good at the job, however, and had eradicated any problem the rodents caused within weeks. Instead of sending them away, the Archbishop at the time had decided to grant them a permanent home amongst the monastery grounds because she had grown so fond of seeing them.

“Drawing them is so much fun…” She smiled, smiling at a pair of calico cats that were snoozing on a low stone wall to their right. “Seteth also gave me more liberty with the overall style this time around! I wanted to go a bit cutesier.”

“I’ve seen your other work!” Ashe said excitedly, hands clenching at his sides. “I know you tend to go more realistic, and it has such a charm that is so… you. I cannot wait to see this!”

Bernadetta flushed horribly but grinned, shifting her eyes away as they twinkled with joy at Ashe’s compliment. They drifted over to the lake beside the greenhouse, widening even more when they did.

“Hey, Ashe… do you like to swim?”

Ashe had not swum since _before_ his time at the Officer’s Academy. But in an odd effort to impress Bernie, he found himself lying through his teeth with a convincing smile on his face.

“It has been a while, but I love it!” It was partially true. Sometimes during the summer months he’d find himself dipping his feet into the cool waters of the lake. But he never went in past his ankles, fearful of feeling fish swimming past him or the slimy underwater flora slipping against his skin. There was also the matter of the depth and the dark; it didn’t seem like it from the surface, but the man-made lake of Garreg Mach was actually immensely deep. He’d once been told by a student that if you were to submerge the cathedral in its depths, only the topmost point would stick out of the murky waters. Even if it wasn’t true, he wasn’t too keen on finding out its true depth.

But when Bernie looked at it, she looked so happy. There was extra spring in her step as she gazed at the waves gently lapping on the stone wall that surrounded it.

“I’ve… never told anyone this before,” she started, taking them past the staircase that led up to the dining hall. “But I go swimming in there all the time! Its so much fun!”

Ashe felt his stomach shrivel up in fear in his abdomen. He disguised his gasp as a small cough, hoping his cheeks didn’t tint too much from embarrassment.

“Would you… like to come swimming with me? Maybe after lunch? I d-don’t know if you’re busy, so you can obviously say no…!” Bernadetta had whipped around with her hands up under her chin, anxiously but excitedly looking at Ashe as she bounced on her feet.

“N-No, that’d be great!”

Ashe felt like a fool, but each time Bernadetta Von Varley smiled at him like she was now, he knew he’d do anything in the world to keep that look on her face.

**

Ashe sheepishly removed the shirt from his torso, standing on the doc that jettied out into the lake. Bernadetta had already jumped in, a cute pink one piece with ruffles standing out against the dark water on her body. He gulped as she sighed in relaxation and brought herself on her back, eyes closing calmly as she floated on the surface. His head felt woozy, his skin crawling in anxiety at the thought of submerging himself knowing full well he didn’t know how to swim. Perhaps he could get away with just putting his feet in like he usually did…

“Come on, Ashe! It feels so _nice_!”

 _Goddess_ …

Ashe sat down on the dock and dipped his feet in. The water truly did feel magnificent. Tiny waves spread out below him from where his leg moved his foot, splashing into Bernie. Maybe he’d be fine if he jumped in with her. Maybe it was shallow here and he’d be able to keep his head above water while he flailed like a dog.

He took a deep breath and slowly slid down into the water, nearly yelping with excitement when his toes touched the sand below. He was able to walk on the tips of them, a nervous laugh falling out of him in relief.

“Y-you’re right, it does feel good!”

“I always come out here during the summer after long days of drawing and painting! I just… love coming here to relax. It’s so quiet; I almost never see anyone else. It’s like my own little secret spot even if it isn’t that secret.”

“That’s me and the stables,” Ashe mused, thinking of all of his horse friends. He didn’t even ride anymore, but always liked to help feed them and clean out their stalls. Having something to take care of that would just listen to him talk was one of his greatest pleasures. “I’m glad you have somewhere you can relax that… isn’t your room.”

Bernadetta laughed heartier than he’d ever heard her. Ashe was almost concerned, green eyes widening as he looked at her floating in the water.

“Five years ago Bernie would have never believed that,” she giggled, sighing as her head shook. “But… I am too. Even now, even though I can walk around here and not feel scared, sometimes I want to keep hiding in my room. But then I remember this lake! This beautiful, cool lake… All the fish, the reeds, the solitude out in the open? It’s perfect.”

“I hope I can join you out here again,” Ashe grinned, moving his arms and legs underwater to keep himself afloat. “You seem so happy… and that makes me happy!”

“O-of course!” Bernadetta had submerged her bottom half underwater, and in moments had found herself directly next to Ashe. He noticed her lips were changing color, her shoulders shivering slightly in the cool water around them. “Are… a-are you cold?”

“Uhhh…” Bernie sheepishly turned around and rubbed her arms over her shoulders, an unseen tint to her cheeks at Ashe’s question.

Ashe stepped forward to follow her, gut dropping when he felt himself walking off the sandbar. He instantly went down underneath the surface of the water, immediately swallowing it and gasping desperately for air. He shut his eyes in fear, thrashing around and attempting to grab on to anything within reach. It felt as though he were under for _hours_ , time slowly ticking by him. Each pound of his frantic pulse in his ears pushed him closer towards shutting down, making him scream through the murky depths of the lake.

He felt hands on his shoulders, pulling him quickly up through the water. Bernadetta kicked him in the shin as she yanked him up towards the surface, but Ashe couldn’t care less as he heard the sounds of dry land returning to his ears. He coughed horribly as Bernie dragged him, clinging to her as though he’d sink again if he let go.

“A-Ashe, it’s okay! I go-got you! Just keep your head up, _please_ Ashe, it’ll be okay…!”

Bernie grunted as she lifted Ashe’s hands up to the dock. With what he guessed was a freak jolt of adrenaline, she put her elbow under his butt and shoved him up onto the solid wood, wind knocked out of her by the sound of her breathing. Ashe landed on his stomach, coughing the lake water up desperately as his nose and eyes ran with even more liquid. His lungs burned and his skin went through a terrifying highs and lows of bitter cold.

“Ashe? Ashe?!” Ashe yelped mid-cough as Bernie flipped him roughly on his back, her face immediately next to his in sheer terror.

“I’m—” Ashe stuttered and tried to even his breathing after a loud fit of coughing, “I’m o-okay. I’m okay… I th-think…”

“Can you not swim?! Oh gosh, Ashe, I’m so sorry, I had no idea—”

“I can… _kind_ of swim…” He murmured, falling back on the dock as he breathed heavily.

“ _No! You! Cannot!”_ Bernadetta covered her eyes in fear, shaking as she sat back on her knees. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Like I said… I _kinda_ can…!” Ashe said, slowly sitting up and rubbing his eyes. He blinked them to see Bernadetta terrified before him, her smile from before gone and his heart wrenching in response. “I… didn’t realize how deep it was off of the sandbar.”

“Oh, _Ashe_ …” Bernie sighed, reaching forward and laying her hand on his knee. She fretted over him some more, making sure he was breathing okay and listening to his chest to see if he’d swallowed too much water. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t even… _consider_ you may not know how to swim… I should have asked you… or held on to you, or _something_!”

Ashe laughed roughly and coughed some more, shivering when the breeze hit his shoulders. “Despite the fact that I almost drowned, it was fun being in the water with you, you know.”

“Ashe! You’re not allowed back in this lake until I teach you how to swim!” Bernadetta said in aggravation, falling back on her bottom and huffing at him.

“I like the sound of that,” Ashe said sheepishly, scooting forward and sitting next to her. Her violet eyes bore into him when he moved closer, wide when she felt his hand on her own. “You’d really teach me how to swim?”

“Well… duh! I don’t want you drowning if… if you come back here with me,” she murmured, once again shooting her eyes away. Ashe could see the blush on her cheeks, making his fingers clutch hers before he knew what he was doing.

“I’d… love to come back h-here with you,” he replied quietly, feeling as though his body were on autopilot as he leaned in closer. “Hey, Bernadetta…”

“Y-yeah?”

“Are you still cold?”

Bernie muffled a scream as she slammed her mouth shut. Her eyes shut tightly as she threw herself against Ashe’s chest, wrapping her arms around him with a grunt.

“You’re the one who’s going to have hypothermia…” she frowned, her chilly nose nuzzling into his chest. Ashe flushed and felt his arms shaking as he wrapped them around the other, his lips pressing into her forehead as they found warmth in each other on the dock on the lake.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed! <3


End file.
